As a nurse, are you currently content with where you are and what you are doing? It is only natural to want to progress and push forwards, especially within the nursing sector where you can achieve what you want to. Deciding that you are ready for change and growth is important, and once you have made this first crucial step, you can then start pushing forwards on the journey that lies ahead.
Are You Happy with Where You Are at the Moment?
As a nurse, are you happy with the area you are specializing in, or are you looking for a complete change? Variety is good, and sometimes a change is necessary to reignite your passion and enthusiasm for your line of work which might have dwindled of late. Of course, if you are happy with the area you are specializing in, do you think you could be happier in a management position within this area, which seems the next logical step, or would you want to pursue management or leadership within a new area completely?
Establish What Your Career Goals and Ambitions Are
Is leadership or management right for you? Advancing your nursing career would provide you with opportunities to get into leadership, which suits a lot of nurses as it brings out positive traits which might not have been uncovered previously. Establishing which direction you want to go in is important, and the sooner you do this, the earlier you will have clarity and direction. So, while you are on this train of thought, what are your ambitions for the future, and what are your career goals? Where do you see yourself going in the future and why? Career goals and ambitions are not set in stone, but it is important to have them as they provide you with guidance and backup when you feel like you are losing direction.
Focus on Studying
To push your career forwards and to reach your career goals, you will most definitely benefit from returning to studying. Just as you can progress your career, you can also progress your studies too by undertaking a BSN to doctor of nursing practice which you can study from home. Competition for higher-level jobs will always be fierce, and because of this, it is important that you are at the top of your game. Getting a degree or a higher degree, such as a doctorate, will put you in a good position to stand out from your competitors and differentiate yourself from what they are offering.
The Benefits of Enhancing Your Education
Knowledge truly is power, and when you enhance your education and you upskill, you invest in yourself. Investing in yourself is one of the best things you can do, as if you do not invest in yourself, you cannot expect others to. When you enhance your education, and improve your knowledge and awareness, you are actually opening yourself up to new opportunities and increased earning potential. Of course, earning more money is nice, and it is nice to know you are being rewarded fairly, but within nursing and even nursing leadership, priorities are changed, and it is much more important to focus on the level of care and treatment given to patients as opposed to how much you are getting for looking after others.
Give Yourself Time and Be Patient
When you return to studying, it can be difficult not to put any additional or unnecessary pressure on yourself, especially if you have not studied for a little while. Pressure to be better than you are at the moment can leave you feeling overwhelmed, and this is not what you need or want. To drive your career forwards, you must learn to seek out opportunities, but you must also learn to be patient with yourself and those around you. When you give yourself time, you ensure that you get the most out of the whole process, and this process covers everything from deciding to advance your career to looking at studying and taking the plunge.
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Seek Out a Balance
Juggling work and study is not for the faint-hearted, but with persistence and effort, you can do both, and you can do them both well. To have a manageable and realistic balance, you need to establish the hours you can commit to work and study each week. Your role as a nurse may or may not have fixed hours as you may work on a rolling rota. Or, you may be a flexible worker with no set hours or days. Whichever type of work you do, it is important that you plan out your studies at the end of one week, so they are ready for the following week. Planning out your studies will greatly cut and reduce stress and worry and will help you achieve a balance.
Remain Committed to Day-to-Day Nursing
As you advance your career, it can be difficult to forget about everything else going on within your life, including your day-to-day nursing role. Realistically, you could be studying for up to four years before you advance your career and reach a level that you are content with, so it is important to balance your studying and your work. Letting things slip will not be beneficial to you or your job and career. When you remain committed to day-to-day learning, you ensure that you are still doing what you set out to do at the start of your career, which is to nurse others, including the sick, terminally ill, and those in recovery.
Focus on the Bigger Picture
When you are advancing your nursing career, it can be easy to get consumed by all of the little things going on, but it is important to remember the bigger picture, and that is, of course, why you got into nursing in the first place, and where you want to take your career next. If you do not focus on the bigger picture and you get consumed by little insignificant things along the way, then you will end up feeling more stressed, tired, and overwhelmed than you need to.
